The interim government has set a 90-day deadline for a newly formed commission to reinvestigate the mutiny and killings at the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Headquarters in Dhaka’s Pilkhana, which occurred 15 years ago.
The commission, entrusted with the responsibility of uncovering both domestic and international conspiracies, has been authorised to summon and question any individual deemed a suspect or person of interest.
A gazette notification regarding the formation of the seven-member commission was issued by the Cabinet Division on Tuesday (24 December).
Home Affairs Adviser Lt gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Monday (23 December) said that the interim government had approved the formation of the commission to ensure justice for the victims of the BDR massacre.
The commission will be headed by former Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General ALM Fazlur Rahman.
Other members include retired Major General Md Jahangir Kabir Talukder, retired Brigadier General Md Saidur Rahman, retired Joint Secretary Munshi Alauddin Al Azad, retired DIG M Akbar Ali, Dhaka University Associate Professor Md Shariful Islam, and Jagannath University Assistant Professor Md Shahnewaz Khan Chandan.
The tragic mutiny, which took place on 25-26 February 2009, resulted in the deaths of 74 individuals, including 57 army officers.
The massacre shocked the nation and drew international attention. In the aftermath, the frontier force was renamed Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), with changes to both its logo and uniform.
Although trials for the mutiny were conducted within BGB courts, the killings were heard in conventional courts.
Of the two cases—one concerning murder and the other under the Explosive Substances Act—468 BDR members remain imprisoned despite serving time for murder, due to the pending explosives charges.
In the murder trial, which concluded on 5 November 2013, 152 individuals were sentenced to death, 160 were given life imprisonment, and 256 received various prison sentences, while 278 were acquitted.
The High Court upheld 139 death sentences, imposed life sentences on 185, and handed down varying sentences to 228 others in 2017. Appeals and leave to appeal for these cases are still awaiting hearing.
Meanwhile, the trial related to explosives charges, which began in 2010, was suspended midway to prioritise the murder trial, leaving the proceedings incomplete.
The demand for a reinvestigation gained momentum under the interim government, following the filing of a writ petition in the Supreme Court in November.
The notification detailing the commission's duties includes identifying all conspirators, perpetrators, and facilitators—both domestic and international—behind the killings at Pilkhana. The commission has been granted the authority to visit any location, summon individuals, and induct additional members as necessary.
The commission must submit its findings to the government within the 90-day timeframe.
Logistical and financial support will be provided by the Public Security Division of the Home Ministry, and commission members will receive government-approved remuneration unless they opt to forgo it with the consent of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
